Dakar: Pedrero takes the win as de Soultrait demoted

Joan Pedrero has become the winner of yesterday’s opening stage of the 2017 Dakar Rally at the end of the day’s action despite coming in second fastest behind Xavier de Soultrait, after the Frenchman got penalised for speeding during one of the day’s liaison stages.

The Yamaha Junior Team rider finished the day’s short 37km timed stage two seconds clear after just under half an hour of racing, but his speeding infringement sees him handed a one-minute penalty that dropped him back to tenth overall.